I heat embossed the floral layer with detail white embossing powder, using the largest stamp in the set and Versamark ink. I hand-trimmed that blue-green layer from an image in the Get Well Labels Twenty set stamped on a pretty new pad of Crate Paper Little Bo Peep 6" x 6" paper. My finished card size is approximately 5-1/2" x 4" when folded.

Would you like to see more projects with the Get Well Labels Twenty set? Then be sure to browse the following blogs, and thank you for visiting!

May 30, 2013

Welcome! Today I have a card to share that uses one of the June JustRite release sets, Let Your Soul Sing, shown fully below.

As you can see, there are several possibilities for different branch/bird, and flower combos--a fun set to play with!

I used three different Spellbinders die template sets on this card: two from the Grand Ovals set (card base, pink front, and focal image oval), one from Grand Decorative Ovals One, and a little banner from Nested Lacey Pennants. While my oval die was still on top of the focal image panel, I stamped the green layer with my chalk inks, then separately stamped the pink layer on another scrap of cardstock so that I could cut out the pink blossoms and attach them with foam tape. Also before removing the die, I used my Copic Airbrush System and a BG02 to airbrush some sky on top of the green layer (before adding my pink flowers).

May 28, 2013

Welcome! Obviously I didn't get to my computer on Monday to post a card for Memorial Day. We spent the day with family. I still wanted to post my card, an "Any Hero" card for Operation Write Home. If you get a minute, I would love for you to read the linked page above on "Any Hero" cards, and then get involved. Operation Write Home is a great cause, and Any Hero cards are definitely not limited to Memorial Day!

I still need to hand write a note inside, but I thought I could use a sentiment from Papertrey's Military Hero set. (You probably can't see it, but I used some sparkly Versamagic to stamp the fireworks stamp from the Red, White & Blue set as well.)

For the star and circle images, I used PTI's Military Stars stamp set--an oldie but goodie. I used three Spellbinders die template sets on the card front: Standard Circles Large, Pinking Circles, and Classic Postage Stamp. Papers are from Bo Bunny's 6" x 6" Liberty Collection. I machine-ruffled some tea-dyed twill by stitching a line of long stitches and then pulling the bottom thread to ruffle it. Buttons are PTI's Vintage Cream buttons. Well, that's it for tonight. I hope you're having a great week!

May 26, 2013

Welcome! I'm hoping to get a Memorial Day card made and posted on Monday, but I have a graduation card that I can post today from the Calgary airport. I'm headed home today; Sherrie Siemens and I had a great time with the Calgary contingent at the Copic Color & Ink Workshop this weekend!

Back to my masculine graduation card: because this card was for a home school grad, I didn't have school colors as a starting point. (School colors are always a great starting point!) For inks I chose PTI's True Black, Summer Sunrise, Pure Poppy, and Blueberry Sky.

I wanted to keep the look clean and graphic; rather than using background paper, I simply used a couple of my Spellbinders A-2 Matting Basics A die templates--the smaller one to cut and emboss the sentiment panels on both the inside and outside, and the larger one to simply impress (without cutting) a frame in the Smokey Shadow cardstock. Stamp sets that I used were Papertrey Ink's Square Prints, Celebrations, and numbers from For the Graduate. That's one more graduation card down! Thanks for visiting.

I thought that someone might have a question on how I got that card base with my Spellbinders Grand Labels Four die template, so I took a picture. I used the next to largest die template, making the folded card base about 5-1/2" wide and slightly less than 4" tall. I also trimmed the tips off after scoring and folding the die-cut shape, as you can see above. I did that to allow the card to sit flat on the bottom instead of wobbling from side to side on that pretty point.

The flowers are cut with Spellbinders Rose Creations die template set, from white coffee filters. I then dripped some Copic colorless blender on the filter-cuts, and then Copic R22 for the blossoms and Copic YG23 for the leaves. (Rose Creations is a simple floral die set to use because it does not require winding. Sometimes I'm winding-challenged. ;-}) The focal panel is cut with a Spellbinders Labels Four die template (largest one in the set), and then trimmed just the same as the card base and mat layers.

Okay--off to Calgary now! I'll have some guy grad cards for you a little later this week. Thanks for visiting!

May 21, 2013

Graduation cards. . . I need at least five this year--three guy cards and two girl cards. I thought I would go graphic and clean for my guy cards, but vintage and girlie for the other two. I had intended to get at least three made today, but considering that it's 11pm, I think that ship has sailed! I started with JustRite's Birthday Vintage Labels Four stamp set. (Graduation qualifies as a "special day," right?)

Since I had recently acquired some envelopes for 5" x 7" cards, I pulled out some larger dies to play with on tonight's card: Spellbinders 5" x 7" Matting Basics A, 5" x 7" Detailed Scallops, Resplendent Rectangles, Stately Circles, and JustRite's Vintage Labels Four dies. Patterned paper is from an old K&Company pad, *I think.* (I don't have the cover any more--just this one favorite, hoarded sheet.) I dyed the ribbon with my Copic reinkers to add a punch of color and coordinate with the darkest shade in the background roses. The pink card base is PTI's Sweet Blush cardstock, and self-adhesive pearls are from my Zva Creative stash. That's it for tonight. Hoping for a more productive day tomorrow!

May 18, 2013

Welcome! I started to clean my studio today--always a great way to get the creative urge. ;-) I couldn't put Dawn's Ruby Rose stamp set away until I'd made at least one more card with it, this time pairing it with Maille's Side-by-Side Sentiments set.

For the card base, I used the Mega Mat Stack 4 die. On the card front I used both the Layerz Mat Stack 4 die and the Ruby Rose die collection. Patterned paper is from PTI's Hibiscus Burst Pattern Pack, and cardstock is Stampers Select White. Ink colors include Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, Limeade Ice, and True Black. Finally, to the card front I added pink and white bakers twine, along with some Cotton Candy Stickles for the flower centers. Now I suppose I should get back to cleaning. . . but where's the fun in that? Have a great weekend!

May 15, 2013

Welcome! Today I have several cards to share from Papertrey Ink's May 2013 release. The stamp sets used herewill be available tonight at 10pm, EST, at Papertrey Ink. Several of this month's sets are geared toward baby cards or scrapbook pages, but there is quite a bit of variety in this month's release in case you aren't in the market for baby-related stamps these days!

First up is a floral set, Ruby Rose. I love flowers, and my grandmother was named Ruby. . . What's not to love with this set? :-) All supply lists are included after each card.

Next is an Americana card. To get make the embossed stars show up more, I rubbed them with Enchanted Evening ink. I used detail white embossing powder for the last layer of fireworks. It didn't show up super-well, so I added a touch of sponged-on distress ink to make it show up better. Those little star rhinestones have been in my stash for years--just what I needed for a finishing touch.

Baby cards are the sweetest, aren't they? I used several cardstock layers of the "baby" die cut glued together to make it chipboard-thickness and then glued patterned paper on top. I sprinkled glitter on top of the patterned paper, after which it was paler than I wanted.No worries--I used my Copic Airbrush System and R85 to airbrush some color back onto that surface. Easy-peasy!

One more baby card, this one with Boutique Borders Baby: this set makes for a simple and elegant baby card! I dressed up the bottom of the card a bit with a PTI Edger #1 die. That ribbon is some seam binding dyed with my Copic reinkers.

Okay, I know that this card is out of my style zone, but it has a purpose--really! My son needed a thank you card, and a clean, simple one seemed to fill the bill best. I used the Background Basics: Text style set at the bottom of the dark gray panel.

If you would like to see some gorgeous projects with the Papertrey Ink May 2013 release sets, be sure to browse the following blogs! As a reminder, since the sets used in this post are from the May release, they will be available tonight at 10pm, EST, at Papertrey Ink. Thanks for visiting!

Since a small part of my class day involves doodling, I've been doodling like a madwoman. True confessions: While I've always loved to draw realistically, I'd never really done much doodling before. But there's nothing like teaching something to make you dive right in. It's seriously addictive. . . No, we don't color our doodles in class, but with all of the markers that live at my house, who could leave everything in black and white? I. Need. To. Color. I've also had few CZT ladies in classes; I love watching them work with their intricate, non-representational patterns. (So for you fabulous Tanglers out there, I'm really flirting with danger now, thanks to you: I've been doodling non-representationally too. . . ;-)

It isn't all doodles and splashing ink in my part and Colleen Schaan's part of the Copic Color and Ink Workshop though: we also spend over four hours teaching coloring various skintones and hairstyles--that's a LOT of skin and hair--probably even enough for you diehard "didn't get enough time coloring faces and hair" people! While Colleen and I are playing with backgrounds and skintones and hair, our co-teacher (either Cindy Lawrence or Sherrie Siemens) is working with airbrushing and using Copics on a variety of surfaces. Each instructor teaches the same class for two consecutive days, while the participants are divided up and attend one class the first day, and the other class the second day. So far class sizes have been small, which means good one-on-one time. If you are interested in attending a Copic Color and Ink Workshop, there are still a few locations left for this year:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Chicago

Glen Allen, VA

Portland, OR

and Dallas.

Do you want to come get inky with us? :-)

The only prerequisite is that you are Copic Standard Certified. Lori Craig, Marianne Walker, Cindy Lawrence, and I all have Copic Standard Certification classes in the near future as well. That's it until Wednesday morning bright and early, when I have several cards to share. Thanks for visiting!

Isn't this is pretty one? I hand-cut around it after I stamped it, and then used foam tape to mount the image.

I had purchased some Tim Holtz Distress Markers several months ago, and pulled them out to try on this project. The colors that I used are shown above. Most of them I used direct to rubber, then spritzed the rubber with water. For the blue background I scribbled some of the Broken China marker on acetate, and then used a waterbrush to pick up the blue ink and float in a background--easy and fun!

I used my Spellbinders 5 x 7 Matting Basics A to cut and emboss the cardstock for the front of my card. Button is a Berry Sorbet Vintage Button from Papertrey Ink, and ribbon is Copic-dyed off-white rayon seam binding. Want to see more of the Botanical Postcard Background projects? You can find more at the following blogs:

May 06, 2013

Welcome! I just got home from the Boston Copic Color & Ink Workshop yesterday, so here's a wave to all of you Boston ladies! Today's card is made with another JustRite May Release, Birthday Vintage Labels Four. When Kellie first mentioned that one of JustRite's May sets would be perfect for the blackboard technique, I knew exactly where to find inspiration and how-to's--from stamping genius Betsy Veldman. (HERE is a link to Betsy's fabulous tutorial, in case you missed it.)

I really like the old fashioned typography in this set and how well it lent itself to a easy-to-make, but ornate-looking card. For my card background, I used JustRite's Grandma's Attic Background Stamp, stamped in white pigment ink on black cardstock.

I pulled this flower from last month's Floral Thank You set, then stamped it in Versamark ink and embossed it with white embossing powder. Next I airbrushed the heat-set white embossed surface with my Copic markers in the three colors shown above. (I know that some people color directly on white embossing powder with Copic markers, but I just prefer to use my airbrush over any embossing powders except clear. EP's other than clear will sometimes flake off and get on the marker nib.) Finally, I trimmed closely around my flower and mounted it with foam tape.

In addition to using a JRS Vintage Labels Four die, I also used a Spellbinders Lattice Rectangles die template, peeking out from under the focal image. I used a white Prismacolor pencil to add a line around the border of the background.

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FTC Disclosure Statement

In the spirit of full disclosure, I currently work as a freelance designer in some capacity for the following companies: Imagination International, Inc. (Copic Markers), My Favorite Things Stamps, and Power Poppy Stamps. While I am compensated by these companies, either monetarily or in product, I maintain the freedom as an independent designer to say what I truly think of the products that I use. I will not recommend something that I don't personally use and enjoy.